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Patented Ian. 3, 1899*. G. E. SCHNEPPER.

STREET SWEEPER.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 1898.1

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(No Model.)

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N0. 6|7,U55. Patented Jan. 3, I899. G. E. SCHNEPPER.

STREET SWEEPER.

Application filed Feb. 5, 1898.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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m. 6l7,055. Patented. Jan. 3, I899. a. E. SCHNEPPER.

STREET SWEEPER. (Application filed. Feb. 5; 1898.;

3 Sheets-Shack -3.

(No Model.)

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llwrrnn 'rnrno GEORGE EMIL SCHNEPPER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STREET-SWEEPQER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 617,055, dated January 3, 1899;

Application filed February 5,1898. Serial No. 669,252. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE EMIL ScnNEr- PER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York,(l3rooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street- Sweeping Machines, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to street-sweeping machines, and has for its object to provide a simple and improved machine or apparatus of this character which will be simple in construction, readily adjustable, and which will operate with the maximum of efficiency.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of myinvention are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a streetsweeping machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan View taken sectionally of the plane of the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the frame of the machine, which comprises a horizontal platform or base 2, mounted at the front portion upon wheels 4. The brush mechanism is arranged at the rear end of the frame 1 and comprises a transverse horizontal brush 5, the shaft 6 of which is carried in vertically adjustable bars 7 7, which are guided in the frame 1 and project downwardly therefrom, said bars being arranged in connection with brackets 8 8, depending from the frame. A spring HIGGhZLHlSIH WDlGh preferably comprises a coiled spring 9, arranged between the bracket, and a flange or projection 10 upon the bar 7, is provided and operates to normally lift or elevate the bars 7. The top ends of the bars 7 are provided with slots 11, which form a fulcrum for a lever or arm 12, passing through said slots 11 and pivotally mounted, as at 13, at its rear end upon the frame 1. It will be understood that by reason of the construction and arrangement hereinbefore described the tendency of the spring 9 is to normally retain the brush 5 in elevated position with respect to the ground;

but when the lever or arm 12 is depressed at its forward end it operates to force the bar 7 downwardly against the tension of the spring 9, and thus throw the brush into operative position with relation to the ground or street.

To provide for the convenient operation of the arms or levers 12, their front ends are connected by a pivotal link 14. with a slide 15, adapted to operate upon a longitudinallyarranged horizontal guide-bar or bracket 16 on the side of the frame-platform 2. Gonnected with the respective slides is a rod 17, extending forwardly, and the front ends of said rods 17 preferably converge, as at 18, and are connected with a supplementary opcrating-rod 19, mounted in suitable bearings 20 upon the frame-platform 2 and extending to the front of the latter, where it is provided with an operating-handle 21. By drawing the operating-rod 19 forwardly the forward movement of the respective slides 15 will draw the lever-arms 12 downwardly by means of the pivotally-connected links 14:, and thus force the brush 5 into operative position. As soon, however, as the rod 19 is released, the mechanism will automatically return to nor mal position, with the brush suspended above the ground. The brush is Operated by a pit man connection 22, pivotally connected with a crank-disk 23 upon the end. of the shaft 6. The pitman mechanism for operating the brush is connected with the main Wheels 4, the arrangement being such that the brush sweeps forwardly.

My invention also comprises an elevating or conveying apparatus by which the sweepings are received from the brush and conveyed to and deposited in a receptacle 24, mounted upon and at the front of the frame 1. This receptacle may have a bottom door, as shown at 25, by which it may be emptied. The elevating mechanism com prises a sprocket-wheel 26, carried by a shaft 27, which is mounted in suitable brackets 28, projecting rearwardly from the framework or receptacle, and at the bottom is provided a similar sprocket-wheel 29, carried by a shaft 30, hav ing bearings in vertically-adj ustable bars 31,

corresponding in general construction to the bars 7 and similarly arranged with respect to depending brackets 32, with coiled springs 33, and a flange or shoulder 34:. The top end of the bars 31 are formed with a similar slot 35, providing a fulcrum for a lever 36, corresponding to the lever 12 and pivotally mounted at its rear end, as at 37, the front end of said lever 36 being connected by a link 38 with a slide 39 upon the guide-rod 16. The connected rods 17 are also connected to the slides 39, so that the adjustment of the brush mechanism by means of the operating-rod 19 results in the simultaneous and corresponding adjustment of the brush and elevator mechanism. The sprocket-wheels 26 and 29 are connected by a chain 40, which carries the elevating-blades 47. An operating-pitman 41 extends from the wheel 4 to a crank-disk 42 upon the end of the shaft of the lower sprocket-wheel 29, by which motion is communicated to the elevator mechanism, and the pitman 22 of the brush mechanism preferably derives its motion by connection with the disk 42, as shown. An inclined chute 43 is arranged beneath the elevator mechanism and suitably supported in the framework. This chute extends transversely with respect to the elevator mechanism and embodies side flanges 44, in the interior walls of which are provided longitudinal grooves or channels 45. At suitable intervals upon the chain 40 are provided projecting brackets 46, carrying transverse blades 47, having projecting pins or studs 48 at their ends, which studs enter and are guided in grooves 45 in the sides of the chute 43. The relative arrangement and construction are such that the front or under side of the elevator mechanism passes upwardly, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, so that as the sweepings from the brush are forced toward the lower end of the elevator mechanism the blades 47 catch the same and by their upward movement convey the sweepings in the chute and through the same to the top thereof, from which they are deposited into the receptacle or box 24.

The lower end of the chute is formed by a segmentally-curved section 49, connected by a hinged joint 50 with the bottom edge of the fixed port-ion of the chute, this hinged lower end being sustained upon rollers 51 and being in its general construction like the main portion of the chute, its sides having the grooves or channels 45, which latter are formed with an enlarged entrance end, as at 52. From the front edge of the hinged lower portion 49 of the chute depends an apron 53, which operates to guide the sweepings into the chute just in front of the broom and the downwardly-advancing blades 47, and said apron may be secured in place in any desired manner.

It will be understood that when the lower portion of the elevator mechanism is raised or lifted by theoperation of the rod 19 and the connecting mechanism the hinged lower end of the chute is simultaneously raised by means of the engagement of the pins or studs 48 of the blades 47 with the side grooves or channels 45, this raising of the part 49 being permitted by the hinged joint 50. To avoid a dead-center in the pitmen connections be tween the wheels 4 and the elevator and the brush mechanism, I may provide a swinging balance-arm 54, depending from the frameplatform 2 and provided with a weighted lower end 55, said balance-arm engaging the pitman 41 by means of an elongated slot 56, formed in said pitman, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. The mechanism is exceedingly simple and will effectively operate to convey the sweepings to and deposit the same in a receptacle carried by the apparatus, thus avoiding occasion for subsequent handling of the sweepings after the machine has passed over the street-surface. By a simple movement of the adjusting mechanism both the brush and elevator mechanism will be elevated above the ground or surface of the street, and thus thrown out of operative position.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction or arrangement as herein shown and described, as manifest modifications may be made, and I therefore reserve the right to all such variations or modifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the terms of the following claims.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An improved street-sweeping machine, comprising a truck, a frame mounted thereon, brush mechanism, a chute arranged with respect thereto and adapted to receive the sweepings therefrom, said chute being pro vided with longitudinal grooves or channels in its side walls, and an endless chain or belt mechanism carrying laterally-projecting blades adapted to be received by and travel in said chute, said blades having end studs or pins which engage said grooves or channels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An improved street-sweeping machine, comprising a truck-frame, a brush mechanism, an inclined chute arranged with relation thereto and adapted to receive the sweepings therefrom, said chute being provided with a hinged lower section adapted to travel upon the ground and having longitudinal grooves or channels in its side walls, and an endless chain or belt carrying projecting blades provided with end studs or pins adapted to engage said grooves or channels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A street-sweeping machine, comprising a suitable truck, a frame mounted thereon, a receptacle mounted over the front portion of the truck, a downwardly and backwardly directed chute arranged rearwardly of said receptacle, a brush arranged rearwardly of the lower end of said chute, an elevator mechanism operating in connection with said chute,

said chute being provided at its lower end with a hinged section which is supported by rollers, the side walls of said section and of said chute being provided with longitudinal grooves and the elevator mechanism being provided with an endless chain and trans verse blades having pins at their ends which move in said grooves, substantially as shown and described.

4. A street-sweeping machine, comprising .a truck, a frame mounted thereon, a downwardly and backwardly inclined chute arranged at the rear of said truck, an elevator operating in connection with said chute, and comprising an endless chain mounted on rollers at the upper and lower ends of said chute, said chain being provided with transverse blades, and the lower roller being vertically movable and spring-supported, a spring-supported brush mounted rearwardly of the lower end of said chute and means for depressing said brush and the roller at the lower end of the elevator, substantially as shown and described.

5. A street-sweeping machine, comprising a truck, a frame mounted thereon, a downwardly and backwardly inclined chute arranged at the rear of said truck, an elevator operating in connection with said chute, and comprising an endless chain mounted on rollers at the upper and lower ends of said chute, said chain being provided with transverse blades, and the lower roller being vertically movable and spring-supported, a spring-supported brush mounted rearwardly of the lower end of said chute and means for depressing said brush and the roller at the lower end of the elevator said elevator and said brush being geared in connection with one of the wheels of the truck,substantially as shown and described.

6. A street-sweeping machine, comprising a truck, a frame mounted thereon, a receptacle mounted over the forward part of said frame, a chute arranged rearwardly of said receptacle and projecting downwardly and backwardly and provided at its lower end with a hinged section which is supported by rollers, an elevator comprising an endless chain moving over rollers at the top and bot tom of said chute, said endless chain being provided with transverse blades and the roller atthe bottom of said chute being vertically movable and spring-supported, a spring-supported brush mounted rearwardly of the lower end of said chute and means for depressing said brush and the lower roller of the elevator, substantially as shown and described.

7. A street-sweeping machine, comprising a truck, a frame mounted thereon, a receptacle mounted on said frame, a chute extending from the top of said receptacle downwardly and backwardly approximately to the ground, an elevator operating in connection with said chute and comprising an endless chain moving over rollers at the top and bottom of said chute, said roller at the bottom of said chute being vertically movable and spring-supported, a spring-supported brush mounted rearwardly of the bottom of said chute and means for depressing said brush and the lower roller of the elevator, substantially as shown and described.

8. A street-sweeping machine, comprising a truck, a frame mounted thereon, a receptacle mounted on said frame, an elevator extending from the top of said receptacle downwardly and backwardly approximately to the ground, a vertically-movable spring-supported brush mounted rearwardly of the lower end of said elevator and means for depressingsaid brush, said elevator consisting of a chute, the lower end of which is provided with a hinged section supported by rollers and an endless chain moving over rollers at the top and bottom of said chute and rearwardly thereof, substantially as shown and described.

9. A street-sweeping machine, comprising a truck, a frame mounted thereon, a receptacle mounted on said frame, an elevator extending from the top of said receptacle downwardly and backwardly approximately to the ground, a vertically-movable spring-support ed brush mounted rearwardly of the lower end of said elevator and means for depressing said brush, said elevator consisting of a chute, the lower end of which is provided with a hinged section supported by rollers and an endless chain moving over rollers at the top and bottom of said chute, the rollers at the bottom of said chute being spring-supported and depressible, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 3d day of February, 1898.

GEORGE EMIL SCHNEPPER.

Vtitnesses:

L. M. MULLER, M. A. KNOWLES. 

